Monday, December 31, 2012

DC Ratings Record

As an advertising professional, I love this other post by Dan Steinberg on the TV ratings for the Redskins-Cowboys Sunday Night matchup.

From the article:

The game earned a 44.6 rating in this market, according to Nielsen overnights — meaning about 1,053,000 homes in this market tuned into the game. It also earned a 68 percent share, meaning a strong majority of in-use televisions were tuned to that game. 

Nationally, the game was also the highest-rated NFL regular-season primetime game ever on NBC.


Celebrating Everywhere

As a fan removed from the DMV area, this piece by Washington Post writer Dan Steinberg resonated with me. I loved watching these YouTube clips of fans singing "Hail to the Redskins" across the country.


Few things in life are better than instant bond with strangers formed by rooting for your team in common.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Reasons to be worried

1. Dez Bryant is playing outstanding football
2. Romo has been very impressive as well
3. Demarco Murray didn't play the first time but will play tomorrow
4. Rob Ryan will know how to defend RG3 better the second time around

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Red alert - trap game against the Eagles!

LeSean McCoy is back.
Nick Foles is playing way better. The game has slowed down for him.
Philly d-line is playing better.

Skins' o-line is banged up. This is going to be a tough one. Washington has to be careful to win the turnover battle.

Beautiful win at the Dawg Pound

What a fantastic first start for Kirk Cousins. Bootleg after bootleg. Even though Morris wasn't getting the big chunks of yards, the number of attempts was what kept the Browns defense focused on the run.

Great turnovers for Fletcher at his homecoming and Rob "Coming-into-his-own" Jackson. The defense did a wonderful job turning Trent Richardson into a non-factor. Many props to the wide receivers for catching everything Cousins was throwing. HTTR!

Sunday, December 09, 2012

One for the Ages

Gutsy all-around effort by Washington. In years past, this is a game that the Skins would have seen fall out of reach, especially during the potential game-tying touchdown drive with the star quarterback getting injured. Instead, the team has such a mindset that it can practically will itself to victory, a winning mindset cultivated this year by RG3. But now, that can-do attitude has taken over the whole team such that backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was able to move the team down the field as well.

At a time when the Skins defense needed to stiffen, they did so, forcing Flacco and Ray Rice off the field with a short 3-and-out series. Then the best surprise came at the end, when great special teams play on the super punt return by Richard Crawford and Kai "Can't Miss" Forbath cinched the victory.

What about next week? Cousins will get the majority of snaps early in the week in case RG3 can't go. It's very early but I'm guessing that Griffin will be a game-time decision. He may even start the first series to see how he feels running around on the field. Despite our faith in Kirk Cousins, RG3 is the reason the team is where it is. As long as he's in, the Skins have a chance. Let's all collectively hope that RG3 is a quick healer.




Tuesday, December 04, 2012

RG3 Potential Backups

If RG3 goes down, the Skins' offensive system comes to a grinding halt. Can Kirk Cousins really run the triple option the way Robert Griffin III does? Of course not. But who could come close?

1. Michael Vick, Eagles. This would actually be a very good fit. Vick obviously was part of a great 1-2 punch with the Falcons, rushing the ball for 1,039 yards in 2006. His accuracy has always been suspect but if he can LBs in to slow the run game through a Kyle Shanahan scheme, then Vick has a better chance of being accurate. Given that the Eagles will go with Nick Foles the rest of the season, I'd estimate that the Skins have a 50-50 shot of signing Vick as RG3's backup.

2. Terrelle Pryor, Raiders. Supposedly just as fast as RG3, Pryor would have to demonstrate that he can accurate like RG3. But he came out in the same draft class as Cam Newton so he's still got two years left on his rookie contract and is undoubtedly looking to compete for a starting role if the Raiders don't hand him the reins this season.

3. Geno Smith, West Virginia. 4.8 40 speed so he's a couple steps slower. He's coming out this year and will probably be the #1 overall pick. Obviously, the Skins won't be in a position to grab him nor do they need him. They need a backup. Smith will likely be the franchise QB for Kansas City.

4. Keith Price, Washington. Probably fits in the same bucket as Geno Smith. Likely to be in the top 2 rounds but may not come out this year.

5. EJ Manuel, Florida State. If he lasts into the 4th round, then the Shanahans may realize it's time to evaluate that year's 4th rounder as a backup vs. Kirk Cousins as a 4th round backup from the prior year. And if so, hopefully, they consider what would be a more seamless transition for the rest of the team. But he'll probably be gone by mid-3rd round based on mock draft projections.

6. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech. Thomas may fit the bill. Bigger and slower than RG3. Like Price, he's a junior and doesn't plan to come out this year. But if he does, he may be flawed enough to drop into a draftable spot.

6. Tim Tebow, NY Jets. Jets are likely to look in the draft for their long-term answer under center. Tebow has been widely criticized as a gimmick players but not a true quarterback. Once the Shanahans study him on film, they'll likely see the same thing. He can't read defenses and process information the same way a typical NFL QB does. They won't bother considering Tebow.

7. Down the road --- Marcus Mariota, Oregon. He just finished a phenomenal freshman year in Chip Kelly's spread offense and by the time he declares, he'll probably be a top prospect. But  he's someone to watch.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

All things are possible with RG3. What does that include?

Breaking Tony Romo's perfect 5-0 record on Thanksgiving. Establishing the rookie record for QB rushing yards, breaking Cam Newton's new impressive record from last year. Ruining the Giant's perfect record 26-0 record since 2006 when leading at halftime. Breaking the 10-game home losing streak on Monday Night Football. Being able to go for a game-winning drive and then kill the clock by dominating the defense with power running to close out the game. Most importantly, it means a 3-game winning streak in the NFC East and being right in the thick of the playoff hunt.
Credit: AP/Nick Wass

The Skins need help for sure. They need the Giants to stumble once more than they do. Hopefully, the Falcons or Saints will oblige in that respect. And Washington has no gimme's. After losing to the Panthers, hopefully, they all know that.

Their pass defense has been and will continue to be suspect. The one area RG3 can't help as much is improving the pass rush and providing better pass coverage. The most he can do is better ball control -  sustain drives so that the defense isn't on the field as much.

How much better are the Redskins with Pierre Garcon? As everyone and their mothers have noted, they are 5-1 with him in the game and the flip record when he's out. Just imagine if Brandon Meriweather and Orakpo was healthy on defense. But everyone deals with injuries and the Skins have to deal with theirs. In fact, they are lucky that RG3 himself is upright, Alfred Morris is healthy, and the O-line has been stout.

Next up: the team that always seems to frustrate them - Battle of the Beltway. No Ray Lewis. But they still have Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, Ray Rice, and Terrell Suggs (who will likely play).